The San Francisco Gothic Scene
Dark happenings in the city by the bay
The ABC is trying to shut down many of our favorite night spots! For more information and ways to help go to Stop the War on Fun now.
Upcoming special events:
Apocalypso at the Cat Club - August 20
House of Voodoo at the Medici Lounge - August 27
Dancing Ghosts at the Stud Bar - August 28
Temptation at the Cat Club - August 28
Blasphemous Rumours and Luv'n Rockets at Cafe du Nord - August 28
Strangelove at the Cat Club - Sept. 3
New Wave City at the DNA Lounge - Sept. 4
Wumpskate at San Jose Skate - Sept. 7
Apocalypso at the Cat Club - Sept. 16
Dancing Ghosts at the Stud Bar - Sept. 25
Temptation at the Cat Club - Sept. 25
The Ball of Cthulhu at the DNA Lounge - Oct. 8
Gary Numan at the Fillmore - Nov. 2
Where to shop
Clothing:
Boneflowers sells original steampunk jewelry and vintage fashions and is located at 1747 Polk St. in SF.
Dark Garden is a custom corset maker located at 321 Linden St. in SF.
Make your own clothing with the help of the San Francisco gothic internet sewing circle Darkthreads.
Mr. S / Madame S is a fetish store located at 385 8th St. in SF. Along with fetish and bondage gear toys, they have leather and latex clothing.
Piedmont Boutique at 1452 Haight St. in SF has mostly drag queen and raver clothes, but they stock some cool accessories.
Soiree Vintage store is located 5405 College Ave. in Oakland. They have great jewelry and accessories.
Stormy Leather is a corset that specializes in leather corsets and is located at 1158 Howard St. in SF.
The Dark Entry is located at 2589 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. It never seems to be open, so I can't give you a review.
White Rabbit is an eclectic little boutique, which has some good clothing along with stuff for your home They are located at 529 Main St. in Martinez.
Who's Your Betty? is a super cute boutique located at 5517 College Ave. in Oakland, right by the Rockridge BART station. It has some very unique clothes and accessories.
Music:
Amoeba Music has two locations: 1855 Haight St. in SF and 2455 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. Great selection of new and used music. A music lover's paradise and my favorite music store bar none.
Aquarius Records at 1055 Valencia St. is an independent record store with a small but good gothic selection.
Rasputin Music has several locations, the largest of which are at 69 Powell St. in SF and 2401 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley.
Etc:
Ancient Ways is a metaphysical store with herbs, candles, oils, stones, and tarot card readings, located at 4075 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland.
Dark Carnival Books is a great off-beat bookstore that sells sci-fi, fantasty, and mystery books. They also have some great events. They're located at 3086 Claremont Ave. in Berkeley.
Eyescream Jewelry sells their unique handmade jewelry at Death Guild and Bondage a Go Go.
Loved to Death at 1681 Haight St. in SF has taxidermy art and jewelry.
Lush, although not gothic per say, sells bath & skin care products that are bewitching. Plus they have something called "Goth Juice" (its made from the tears of Robert Smith). They are located near Union Square, at 2116 Powell St. in SF.
Paxton Gate has taxidermy animals, bones, unique garden items, strange items for your home, and an intersting selection of books. A must see, the store is at 824 Valencia St. in SF.
The Bone Room is somewhat famous to those in the know, and is located at 1569 Solano Ave. in Berkeley. The has both real and high quality fake bones for sale, as well as fossils, insects, and more.
The Sword and the Rose is somewhere between a hippie and a Wiccan store. If you need candles or incense, this is the place to go. Located at 85 Carl. St. in Cole Valley in SF.
Where to find good food
Asia SF has good food, great signature drinks, and fab entertainment from the "gender illusionists" who also are your waitresses. A great place for a bachelorette or coming out party, Asia SF is located at 201 9th St. in SF.
Bourbon & Branch is a 1920s speakeasy near Union Square in SF. Great ambiance and amazing old school drinks. You have to call a day ahead to get the location and password.
Brainwash is the only place I know of in the Bay Area where you can have a sandwich, do you laundry, and listen to local musicians. This eclectic mix is at 1122 Folsom St. in SF.
La Briciola has the best Italian food in the city, along with an amazing wine list. Located in SoMa at 489 Third St. in SF, they are a great stop before heading out for a night at the club.
Mel's Drive In is the all-purpose fallback for when you can't find anywhere else. Decent diner food, and open late or 24 hours. Locations include 801 Mission St. and 1050 Van Ness in SF.
Paragon Restaurant has great food (and drinks) for a fair price. They have two locations, in the City at 701 2nd St., by the ballpark, and in the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley.
Wicked Grounds combines coffee and S&M. Genius. Located at 289 8th St. in SF.
Other cool places in the bay area
Clubs/Nights:
1984 is an 80s night that takes place every Thursday at the Cat Club, located at 1190 Folsom St. in SF.
Bondage a Go Go is a goth & bondage night that takes place every Wednesday at the Glas Kat at 520 4th St. in SF.
Club Resurrection is a deathrock night that takes place every Sunday at the Cat Club, 1190 Folsom St. in SF.
Death Guild takes place every Monday at the DNA Lounge, at 375 11th St. in SF.
Electric Fridays is an 80's alternative, electro, and new wave night that takes every Friday at The Bar On Church at 198 Church St. in SF.
Meat is a once a month industrial night that takes place at the DNA Lounge, located at 375 11th St. in SF. And yes, they do serve meat.
Retroactive plays 80s, goth, and industrial music at 1928 Telegraph in Oakland every Thursday night.
Strangelove takes place on the first Friday of every month at the Cat Club, located at 1190 Folsom St. in SF.
Swing Goth takes place several days every month both in the City and East Bay.
The DNA Lounge is located at 375 11th St. in SF and holds an industrial and new wave nights and has occasional live music.
Other Things to Do:
Join Ariellah, our local gothic bellydancing diva, in one of her classes or workshops. Her classes are at Shoebox Studios, on 855 Folsum in SF, but she is often at other events all around the country.
It might not be Halloween, but a goth has got to plan ahead. Check out Haunted Bay for all the Halloween related events in the Bay Area, including haunted houses, parties, and more.
Lucky Ju Ju is filled with Reto-tastic pinball machines and is located at 713 Santa Clara Ave. in Alameda.
Listen to Pirate Cat Radio, an underground radio station at 87.9FM, or online. You can even host your own radio show. Who doesn't want to be a DJ?
The Crucible is the place to learn the arts of blacksmithing, fire performance, glassblowing, and so much more. Their events, such as thier Fire Arts Festival in Summer and their winter Fire Ballet are not to be missed. They are located at 1260 7th St. in Oakland a few blocks from the West Oakland BART station.
The San Francisco Ghost Hunt takes place every evening at 7:00 and lasts three hours. You'll visit some of the city's most haunted locations.
The Vampire Tour of San Francisco takes place on Fridays, Saturdays, and special spooky days. This walking tour takes two hours.
Things to See:
Alcatraz is even spookier at night. Hornblower offers night tours of the infamous prison which leave from Pier 33 in SF.
Carthedral is an art car -- a converted hearse that is in periodic art shows and events.
The Black Widows are San Francisco's own gothic strip review. They often perform at the Uptown in Oakland.
The Living Dead Girls are our local Zombie dance troop. The appear at events once and a while . . . check out their website for a great "Shoes" parody.
The Rosicrucian Museum was created by a group of neo-Egyptian spiritualists, and houses Egyptian antiques and a planetarium. All of this is housed in Egyptian styled buildings at 1342 Naglee Ave. in San Jose.
The Winchester Mystery House gives flashlight tours on Friday the 13th and around Halloween. This labyrinthian home is located at 525 S. Winchester Blvd in San Jose.